Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-04-24
CHAPTER III.

John Mel woke early the next morning,
feeling as sore and stiff as though he had
been well beaten and then strapped up
tight in horse-girths. lie made shit, how
ever. to dress himself, and then, with the
aid of n stick, limped through the French
windows that opened on To the yeranda
and surveyed the scene before him. II was
"A delightful spot. At the back of the house
was the steep bOwlder-strewn face of the
flat. topped hill that curved round on each
side, embosoming great slope OF green, IN
the lap of which the house was placed.
The house itself was sOlidly built Of brown
stone, and, with the exception of the wagon
shed and other OuthOuScS, which were
rooted with galvanized iron that shOne and
glistened in the rays of the morning sun
in q way that would have made an eagle
blink, was covered with rich brown thatch.
All along its front ran wide veranda, up
the trelis work, of which green vines and
blooming creepers trailed pleasantly, and
beyond was the broad carriage drive OF red
soil, b0rdered with bnshy OTange-trees
laden with odOrons flowers and green gold
en- fruit. On the farther side OF the orange
trees were the gardens fenced in with low
walls of rOugh stone, and the orchard full
of standard fruit trees, and beyond these
again the oxen and ostrich krials, the lat
ter full of long necked birds. To the right
of the house grew thriving plantations of
blue gum and black waffle, and to the left
was broad stretch of cultivated lands,
| lying so that they could be irrigated for
winter crops by means of water led from
| . ha hot
mountain side high above the house and
gave its name OF MOOiiOntein to the place.
All these and many more things John
| Mel saw as he looked out from the veranda
at MOOiiOntein, but, for the moment at any
rate, they were lost in the wild and won
deriul beauty of the panorama that rolled
away for miles and miles at his feet, till 1t
was ended by the mighty range of the ORA
kensberg to the left, tipped here and there
with snow, and by the dim and vast hOri-
ION of the swelling Transvaal plains to the
right and far in front of HIM. 1t was a
beautiful sight, and one to make the blood
run in a mans veins and his heart beat
happily because he was alive to see IT..
Mile upon mile of grass-clOthed veldt be-
meath, bending and ripping like corn
field in the quick breath of the morning,
space upon space of deep blue ky overhead
Wild ne'cr cloud 10 dim it, and the swift
rush OF the wind between. Then 10 the
left there, Impressive 10 look on and con-
ducive to solemn thoughts, the mountains
rear their crests against the sky, and,
crowned with the gathered SHOWS OF the
centuries whose monuments they are, from
eon to eOn gaze maiestically out over the
wide plains and the ephemeral, antlike
races that tread them, and while they en-
dnre think themselves the masters OF their
| little world And all over mountain,
plain, and flashing stream-tbe glorious
light of the African sun and the Spirit of
/ Life moving now as it once moved upon
the darkling waters.
John stood and glzed at the untamed
| beauty OF the scene, in his mind compar-
] ing il to many cultivated views that he had
known, and coming 10 the conclusion That,
however desirable the presence Of civilized
man might be in the world, it could not
be said his operations really added to its
beauty. For the old line, Mature I'M
adorned adorned the most" still remains
true in more senses than one. Presently
his reflections were interrupted by the step
of Silas CrOft, which, Notwithstanding his
age and bent frame, still rang firm enough
and he turned to greet him.
''Well, Captain Mel, ;" said the old man,
up already 1t Looks well il you mean
to take 10 farming. Yes, it's pretty view,
and pretty place too Well, j made il.
Twenty-Five years ago rode up here and
saw this spot. Look, you see that rock
there behind the house, slept under it
and woke at sunrise and lookedout at this
beautiful view and at the great veIdt Git
was all alive with game them, and said
to myself, 'Silas, for iveand-twenty years
have yOu wandered abOnt this great cOun-
try, and now Jon are getting tired Of it;
you've never seen fsirer spot than this or
healthier; now be wise man and stop